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Twitter search rules and restrictions

This article details the rules for using Twitter search, and explains reasons why content may not show up in Twitter search.

Why doesn't all content show up in Twitter search?

In order to keep your search results relevant, Twitter filters search results for quality Tweets and accounts. Material that jeopardizes search quality or creates a bad search experience for other users may be automatically removed from Twitter search. Read more about this here.

General rules for using Twitter search:

The Twitter Rules explain what behaviors are permitted on Twitter. In addition to these rules, we've included some tips below to keep your content relevant (and your Tweets in Twitter search).

Twitter may automatically remove accounts engaging in these behaviors from search (or even suspend in some cases) in order to ensure the best experience for everyone.

Search results filtering in third-party applications:

Accounts may be filtered from search for posting similar messages over several accounts. Your account may be filtered from search if you are logged into a third-party application that is updating to lots of accounts with similar or duplicate content.

Rules for participating in contests on Twitter:

Businesses sometimes host contests and offer prizes to Retweet an update, following a particular user, or posting Tweets with a specific hashtag topic or @reply. If you’re running a contest, check out this article for guidelines for contests on Twitter.

If you repeatedly post near-duplicate updates or duplicate links in order to enter contests, you may be filtered from search. Please keep in mind that you are responsible for the updates that you post to your Twitter account.